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How We Work

Every project follows five stages, with service-specific methods set out in a protocol or analysis plan.

  1. Stage 1

    Scoping

    Agree the research question, available material or data, output, scope, timeline and cost in writing.

  2. Stage 2

    Protocol

    Prepare the study protocol or analysis plan before work begins. Animal studies require ethics committee approval first.

  3. Stage 3

    Execution

    Carry out the work with controls, replicates and quality checks defined in the protocol.

  4. Stage 4

    Analysis and reporting

    Analyse results using documented methods and deliver agreed reports, figures, tables and methods text.

  5. Stage 5

    Follow-up

    Discuss results after delivery and complete the revision rounds agreed for the project.

Preclinical studies

In vivo: Study design → model induction → treatment → behavioural testing → tissue collection → tissue analysis → statistics and report. Groups, sample size, doses, endpoints and analyses are defined in a written protocol approved by the animal ethics committee before work begins. Standard behavioural assays may include the Open Field Test, Light-Dark Box and Novel Object Recognition. Tissue analysis may include histology, immunohistochemistry, ELISA and biochemical assays.

In vitro: Model set-up → treatment → cellular assays → mechanism → analysis and report. Cells are exposed across agreed concentrations and time points with untreated, vehicle and reference controls; viability, proliferation and function are measured, and relevant gene or protein pathways are examined.

In silico: Target selection → ligand preparation → molecular docking → pose inspection → molecular dynamics → trajectory analysis → binding free energy → report. The supplied workflow names RCSB PDB, PDBFixer, PubChem, Open Babel, AutoDock Vina, GROMACS, AmberTools, MDAnalysis and gmx_MMPBSA. Simulation duration, replicates and methods are confirmed in the project plan.

Molecular research

Samples are logged and stored under conditions required by the assay. Genomic variants are characterised with PCR and Sanger sequencing; gene expression with RT-PCR; and protein expression with Western blot or ELISA. Biochemical assays quantify biomarkers in tissue, serum and cell samples. Histology and microscopy work may include H&E or Nissl staining, immunohistochemistry, imaging and quantitative analysis. New methods can be developed and validated for a project, with protocol and performance data delivered.

Metagenomic data analysis

Shotgun read-based workflow: Data retrieval → quality control → taxonomic classification → functional annotation → diversity analysis → antimicrobial resistance and virulence screening → statistics → report and delivery. Listed tools include FastQC, fastp, KneadData, Kraken2, Bracken, MetaPhlAn, HUMAnN, eggNOG, QIIME 2, R, CARD/RGI, VFDB, ABRicate, DESeq2 and MaAsLin2.

Genome-resolved workflow: Assembly → assembly quality control → coverage and binning → bin quality → dereplication → taxonomy → annotation → abundance and association analysis.

16S/ITS workflow: Read quality control → denoising → taxonomy → data integration → diversity analysis → differential abundance → optional functional prediction.

Analytical standards in the client brief include recording tools, versions and parameters; reporting sample counts and exclusions; accounting for run, lane and batch structure; examining covariates; and delivering scripts and intermediate files for reproducibility. The stated service inputs include FASTQ, FASTA and public repository accessions with sample metadata.

Biomedical and omics data analysis

Project workflow: Scoping → data intake and audit → cleaning and quality control → processing and annotation → statistical analysis and modelling → validation → report and revisions. The project plan defines the validation approach, covariates, deliverables and handling requirements for de-identified clinical or biological data.

Evidence synthesis and technical reports

Project workflow: Question and protocol → literature search → screening → data extraction and appraisal → synthesis and analysis → report writing → review and delivery. The service brief includes systematic reviews and meta-analyses reported to PRISMA, health-sector assessments, donor and technical reports, policy briefs, and survey or programme-data analysis.